Little bottles for carry-on toiletries

[brookmey]

I haven't flown in about 6 years, before the restrictions on carry-on liquids. I always put my toiletries in my carry-on since I'm pretty particular about my hair products. I found some small plastic bottles in the travel toiletry section at Walmart and they're perfect for my shampoo and conditioner. They're small enough to fit 3.4 oz to comply with the TSA restrictions, but do the bottles have to have the total oz. written on them, similar to the way glass measuring cups do? Or does security just go by the size of the bottle, not what's written on it?

 

[Jestocost]

I haven't flown in about 6 years, before the restrictions on carry-on liquids. I always put my toiletries in my carry-on since I'm pretty particular about my hair products. I found some small plastic bottles in the travel toiletry section at Walmart and they're perfect for my shampoo and conditioner. They're small enough to fit 3.4 oz to comply with the TSA restrictions, but do the bottles have to have the total oz. written on them, similar to the way glass measuring cups do? Or does security just go by the size of the bottle, not what's written on it?

Unfortunately, it depends.

Way back when the requirement was first put in place, they were pretty strict about the bottles needing to be labeled with the size information.

More recently, they have relaxed that requirement.

In the end, what is or is not allowed can vary from airport to airport or from individual screener to individual screener.

As a result, you'll probably hear from many people who travel with bottles like yours all of the time with no trouble and from a few who have tried and had problems.

 

[bumbershoot]

I only travel with containers that have the measurement on the bottle. Either 3.4 oz or 100mL. The containers I have I found at Safeway, and they have stickers with the measurement. I've made sure that those stickers stay on (I am normally anti-sticker, and peel any non-decorative sticker off of things).

 

[mjplantz]

also remember that you are only allowed a quart size ziploc bag of liquids for each person in your party. Last trip my wife had all four of ours in her carryon and as she went through security they started to bring it up until we quickly pointed out we had four in our party.

http://www.tsa.gov/311/index.shtm

we choose to just put them in the checked bags and forget about it

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

As long as the containers look about the right size and fit in your quart bag, it does not seem to matter if the size is on the container. I have traveled throughout the US and Europe extensively and no one has ever actually examined the containers in my 311 bag. That doesn't mean it never happens, but I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

also remember that you are only allowed a quart size ziploc bag of liquids for each person in your party. Last trip my wife had all four of ours in her carryon and as she went through security they started to bring it up until we quickly pointed out we had four in our party.

http://www.tsa.gov/311/index.shtm

we choose to just put them in the checked bags and forget about it

You are supposed to take your bags out of your carry-on when going through security.

 

[mjplantz]

You are supposed to take your bags out of your carry-on when going through security.

we did, TSA just noticed we pulled them all from the same carry-on and she was behind us in line so they thought she was flying solo

 

[lylone]

I bought these little bottles about five years ago from Walgreens and they are not labeled with the sizes at all. They have been to Orlando twice, Pensacola once and to Cancun. No issues what so ever and the bag has saved my carry on from some spills too.
http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/mon-image-travel-bottles-3-oz/ID=prod3165428-product

 

[delilah]

This is some interesting information, possibly a rumor, via some of our family friends who happen to work at the airport for TSA. The rumor is that the TSA is considering dropping the restrictions on liquids on airplanes, and that is the reason why they are not quite so strict. Still, I prefer to stick with the official guidelines if and when it is ever changed. Also, I have had bad luck with the little bottles from the Dollar store or Walmart leaking, whereas the original containers seldom leak. Also, even if I label the containers, I sometimes forget what is in them, or the labeling washes off (think using moisturizing lotion instead of hair conditioner).

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

This is some interesting information, possibly a rumor, via some of our family friends who happen to work at the airport for TSA. The rumor is that the TSA is considering dropping the restrictions on liquids on airplanes, and that is the reason why they are not quite so strict.

Lifting the liquid ban through security (there is no liquid ban on planes) is not a rumor; this has been discussed for several years. It keeps being delayed due to problems with chemical detecting scanners.